Electrical switch



Feb. 3, 1931. w. E. cox

` ELECTRICAL SWITCH Filed April 16,V 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l lull? a, I, ya d z,

/NvE/v TDF' Trag/vers W1 TN ESS La/m Felk, 1931. w, E COX ELECTRICAL SWITCH Filed Apri; 1e. 192s 2 sheets-snm 2 ff f MMM @w /NVENTDR sx I I M m ATTaR/vers Patented Feb. 3, 1931 UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM E. cox, or JACxsON, MICHIGAN,` AssreNoR To THE sCo ELECTRICAL PRODUCTS Co., INCORPORATED, on JACKSON, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION or MICHI- GAN Application led April 16,

This invention relates to .a new and improved switch for making electric contacts vious that it is suitable for many dlerent applications.

In designing the radio panel on which the different operatin mechanisms of the appaure 2.-

ratus are carried it is desirable to be able to use diferent materials which shall be uniform for the different operating mechanisms appearing on the panel and it is frequently desirable to have the material of metal rather than of some insulating substance, as for example, bakelite. V

' The current used in operating radio apparatus is of comparatively high voltage and in consequence any switch in which the oper- `ating plunger is in circuit with either side of switch is impractical to use because of such comparatively high voltage and the fact that the plunger is manually operated.

The main object of my invention is to design a switch in which :the plunger may be of any desired material either insulating or not but in which the plunger itself is insulated from both sides of the switch so that it may never be connected to the electrical circuit.

Another object of my invention is to pro.- vide a means whereby the Contact in the electrical circuit will be made and will be broken with extreme rapidity so that there will be no possibility of the formation of an arc between the contact points of the switch as the contact between them is made and broken.

Other objects and advantages relate tothe size, shape and arrangement of parts all as will more fully appear from thefollowing description taken in connection with 'the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a preferred form of my device with one side of the casing cut away.

Figure 2 is a section on line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is aA section on line 4-4 of Fig- ELECTRICAL SWITCH 1928. Serial No. 270,324.

Figure 5 is a perspective View of a modified form of my device.

Figure 6 isa section on line 6-6 of Figure'5.

Figure 7 is a section on ure 6.

In the preferred form of my device as shown Ain Figures 1 to 4 inclusive I provide an outer casin -1 and with a bottom plate -2 ma e of hard rubber or other insulating material and hel`d,in lace byintegral tongues 3 3 extending t roughslots 4 4 in opposite sid-es of casing -1-. Bottom plate -2-carriestwo electrical contact plates -5- and -6- axed uponthe upper surface in spaced relation by means of rivets une 7 70f'rig- -6- are made of spring metal with the effective contact portions of the same bent or inclined upwardly as indicated at -a-f.- on Figure 1 and at '-bon Figure 2 so as to be normally spaced some distance from the upper surface of plate -2-. Electrical contact plates 5 and -6- have terminal portions 9 and l0- extendin through bottom plate -2 and provide with holes 11 and .-12- so that the wires of the electrical circuit may be attached thereto'. A stop post -13- having a shoulder or collar 14- on the upper end extends from approximately the central point of bottom plate '-2- into the interior of case -1-'- for a purpose hereinafter to bedescribed.

At approximatel the center point of the top of case -1- ber -15- extending outwardly from case -1- and being externally threaded for a purposehereinafter to be described. Y

further provide an operating plunger d tion, a yoke 1S-l having downwardly exprovide a bearing mem- Contact plates ---and y tending end portions -19- and 20- in spaced relation to the two sides of casing 1-. A ortion of plunger 16 extends downward y below yoke -18- for a purpose hereinafter to be described. The downwardly extending ends -19- `and -20- are provided with horizontal grooves, openings or recesses -21-` and -22- respectively on the inner faces thereof for a purpose hereinafter described. A yoke 23 of spring metal having upwardly extending resilient side arms 24- and -25- provided with horizontally extending grooves 26- and -27- near their upper edges, is slidably journaled on stop post -13- beneath shoulder 14 and is of such a size and shape that in its downward movement it will depress the inclined spring ends of contacts 5 and 6 into substantial contact with the upper surface of insulating plate -2-,-. There is further provided a toggle link -28 having its outer edge seated in groove -21- of yoke -18- and its inner edge seated in groove -26- of yoke Q3- A similar toggle link -29- is positioned with its outer edge in roove -22- of yoke 18 and its inner e ge seated in groove -27- of yoke Q3- AThe toggle links' -28- and -29- are of somewhat greater length than the distance between the arms of yoke -V-23- and the flanges 19 and 20 respectively so that the toggle links will be at all times retained in the respective groove exerting some tension upon the arms -24- and -25- and when in a intermediate position, disposed substantially perpendicular to anges 1.9- and -20-, they will compress and force the side arms -25- and -26- inwardly toward each other against the resilient tendency of these arms to spread or separate to a normal position.

It will be understood that when lunger -16- is pulled outwardly through earlnv l5- thereby raisin yoke -18- whic yoke in turn carries t e outer ends of toggle links -28- and -29- upwardly, the i arms -24- and Q5-,- willbe forced toward each other as the toggle links approach a normal or central disposition and upon slight further movement beyond the normal position-the-yoke -23 will besnapped bodily downwardly by the resilient action of arms or springs Q4- and .--25- and will come into contact with contact plates 5- and -6-. to effect al1 electrical connection betweenthem, and the toggle links, acting in connection with resilient arms -24- and -25'-, will cause the base of the yoke -23- to exert pressure on the upper .surface of.

contacts -5- and -6- to depress them. In the up position of plunger -16- the upper surface of yoke 1S- ma contact with or perhaps preferably is but s ghtly spaced from the top of casing 1.

When it 1s desired to break the electrical contact between plates -5- and -6, the plunger -16- is moved downwardly in casing 1 carrying yoke -18- 'also downwardly. This will vresult in downward movement of the outer ends of toggle links -28- and -29-, and when they pass a central or neutral position the spring yoke 23 will be suddenly snapped upwardly out of contact with plates -5- and -6- as a result of the spring action of the compressed spring arms -24- and 25 and the base of yoke -23- will contact with the collar -14- on post -13- to prevent further upward movement of the yoke. p In this connection an important feature of this invention resides in the fact that the effective contact portion of the plates -5- and -6- are normally bent or inclined upwardly from base -2- and as a result when the yoke -23- startsto move upwardly, the initial movement being relatively slow, the spring pla-tes -5- and -6- follow the yoke -23- during its initial upward movement and the circuit is maintained closed during initial movement of yoke -23-. The snap-over action of the mechanism acts almost immediately to highly accelerate the movement of the Iposition in a panel or other suitable structure the bearing member -15-- is passed through an openino -30- in a panel 29'- and. is locked rigidly in position as by 'locking nut -32 threaded on bearing -15'-, a washer -31- being interposed if desired.

Figure 2 of the drawings 'shows the switch with plunger 16 in the down position and -the switch open and also indicates in dotted lines the position kof the several parts when the plunger is in the up position and the switch closed.

. In the modified form of my device shown 1n Figures 5, 6 and 7 I have shown a special means of assembling the parts although it will be understood that the movable parts of the apparatus so illustrated should be assembled in a closed casing similar tocasing .-1- shown in Figure 1 of the preferred form of my device. In the modified form of my device Ihere provide a top Yplate -33, and a bottomplate 361-` of hard rubber or other yinsulating material. The plates -33- and 34.- are heldin s aced relation b means of collars B5- an -86-imounte necting bolts -37- and The bottom on conplate -34- carries contact members-39- and held in spaced relation therein by means of rivets -41 and -42- and also carries at approximately the central point thereof a stop post 43 having a shoulder 4 on its upper end. A contact member preferably square in cross section and having a bottom portion 46- of a material of high electrical conductivity and an upper portion -47- of an insulating material is slidably mounted on stop post 4S- Contact members -39 and 40- have termi-A nal portions thereof extending through bottom plate -44 and provided with holes 48- and 49H so that wires may be conveniently attached thereto. Contact members B9- and 40- are made of spring metal and the ends thereof, which are on the' upper surface of bottom plate -34, are bent upwardly as indicated at -con Figure 5 and at d'- on Figure 6 for a purpose hereinafterto be described.

Top plate -33- carries at'approximatelyl its center point an upwardly extending externally threaded bearing member 5G- A plunger 5lextends downwardly through bearing member -50- and carries adjacent its lower end a spring yoke -52- having downwardly extending resilient side arms -53- and -54- somewhat inwardly inclined and normally in vspaced relation to collars -38- and -35- respectively and each provided adjacent its lower end with a slot -55-. A toggle link -56- with a Y tongue -57- extending through slot -55- in arm -53- has its inner edge inserted in a groove -58- in the insulating ortion -47- of contact member -45-, A similar toggle link -59- having a tongue 60- extending through slotf-55- in arm 54- has its inner edge inserted in a groove -61- in the opposite side of insulating member When contact member -45- is in the raised position and not in contact with convented by its contacting with shoulder -44- on stop post and any further down movement of plunger -51- is prevented by the contacting of the lowerend of plunger 5I- with the top surface of stop post '-43. i

When it is desired to move contact mem- When the contact member ber -45- downwardly and into contact with contact members S9- and -40- lunger -51- is moved upwardly by means oi) a knob -62- threaded on the outer end thereof. This upward movement of plunger -51- will in turn cause yoke -52- to also move upwardly. The yoke may be guided in its upward and downward movement as by a U-shaped clip 61 atlixed in any suitable manner to spacing collar -33 and the resilient arm 53- slides within and is guided by the opposite legs of the U-shaped clip. Upward movement of resilient arms -53- and 541- will carry the outer ends .of the toggle links -56- and 59mv upwardly and as the togglelinks are somewhat longer than the distance between the insulating member -47- and the spring arms -53 and 54- upward movement of the outer ends of the links. from the position shown in the drawings will press the spring arms -53- and -54- outwardly and this expansion of the arms against their normal tension willconnormal position. But when the normal position is passed either in moving the outer ends of links -56- and -59- upwardly or downwardly, the resilient arms -53-. and -54- being under considerable tension will suddenly snap the contact either to or from its circuit closing position dependent upon a direction of movement of yoke 52-. The effect of vhaving contacts -89- and -40- bent upwardly, as disclosed, is the same in this structure as the effect heretofore de;

scribed in connectionwith contacts -5- and -6-. By normal position as used herein is meant a position in which to gle links -56- and -59- are disposed sust'antially horizontally and at right angles to the rigid one of the members between which the toggle It may be understood that dill'erent materials may be used in theconstruction of my device and that modiica'tions may be made in the shape and arrangement of the various parts of the assembly without departing from ,the spirit of my inventionl for although I have shown and described'a specific structure and form of part as an exempliication of my invention I do not desire to restrict myself to the exact shape, form or relation of parts as various changes may be made within the scope of the appended claims.

` spaced relation to thespring yoke, and a plurali'ty of insulating members coactin with the spring yoke and the second name yoke whereby the movement of the plunger willA cause movement of the spring yoke.

2. In a device of the class described, a frame, a pair of spring contact plates mounted in the frame, a spring yoke movable into and out of contact with the spring contact plates, a plunger, a yoke on the plunger normally in spaced relation to the spring yoke, and a plurality of insulating members coacting with the spring yoke and the second named yoke whereby the movement of the lunoferwill cause movement of the s rino yoke.

3. In a. device of the class described, al Jframe, a pair of contact plates mounted in the frame, a member movable into and out of contact with the contact plates, a plunger movable in the framework, a yoke carried by the plunger, movable members connecting the yoke with the first named movablemember, and insulating material attached to the 'first named movable member and forming a bearino for the movable members carried by the yoke.

4f. In a device of theclass described, a casing, contact plates for electric wires positioned on the base of the casing, pedestal positioned between said contact plates, a spring yoke with upright arms movably mounted on the pedestal for movement into and out of` contact with the contact plates, a plunger adapted to move into and out of contact with the pedestal, a yoke having depending arms attached to the plunger, said depending arms being in spaced relation to the upright arms of the spring yoke, and insulating plates ivotally mountedl between the upper ends o the upright arms of the spring yoke and the adj acent depending arms of the second named yoke whereby the movement of the insulating plates from a straight line is resisted by the spring yoke.

5. In a device of the class described, a casing, a pair of upwardly extending spring contact plates for electrical wires positione ,in one end of the casing, a pedestal positioned between the spring contact plates, a spring yoke with upright arms movably mounted on the pedestal for movement into and out of contact with the spring contact plates a plunger in the opposite end ofthe caslng adapted to move into and out of contactl with the pedestal, a yoke carried by the plunger, insulating toggle links pivotally mounted between the upright arms of the sprin yoke an upright ond named yoke and means for moving the last named yoke in relation to the spring yoke whereby the spring yoke is moved into the pedestal, a yoke carried by the plunger,

insulating toggle links pivotally mounted between the upright arms of the spring yoke and the adjacent depending arms of the second named yoke and means for moving the Alast named yoke in relation to the spring yoke whereby the spring yoke is moved into and out of contact with the spring contact plates, said movements being accelerated by the spring action of the spring yoke.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set mv hand this 9th day of Aprir'laas. WILLIAM E. COX. I

and the adjacent depending arms of e seclasl 

